1/Spent #CollegeSigningDay today at rural Pa. HS. This is first year it had an @AdvisingCorps adviser. Excitement about what was “next” was palpable among seniors, something they said was missing in past when counselors focused solely on social/emotional. chronicle.com/article/Why-20…

2/This is a school where the median household income is $31K. Average SAT score for those who actually take it is 935. And only about 50% of students have historically gone on to post-secondary education. In other words, not much of a college-going culture.

3/Students wore shirts declaring college choice. Yet several told me they’re worried they ended up with too little aid. A few are going to regional Pa. publics, where on-campus expenses are $25K. Leaves some with a gap of $10K. That’s 1/3 of their family income. @dan_greenstein

4/While #CollegeSigningDay is meant to be celebratory, making a deposit is only half the battle. Getting accepted w/huge unmet need makes students feel like schools really don’t want them. One accepted to @MisericordiaU has gap of $15K, half of the family income for this area.

5/This school was not far from where I grew up. Affordability was also an issue for us in 30 years ago, but not to this extent as @anya1anya, @biblioracle, and others have pointed out. npr.org/sections/ed/20…

6/I’ve been to 4 high schools in 4 states this past month, starting with one in the 3rd richest county in nation and ending here. Affordability came up as an issue in counselor conversations at *every* single high school.

7/Difference is in wealthy and even middle-income schools, they'll figure out ways fill gaps, if they haven’t already. At this school, it’s May and there's no closure. They're accepted, paid deposits, but only beginning to think about how to pay. #highered can & must do better.